What I want to do, I do not do. That which I do not want to do, I find I do.” (Apostle Shaul) Romans 7
What is this? Sin at work in my flesh and soul.
After trust in Messiah Yeshua for salvation, we learn that the works of the flesh (listed in Galatians) are no longer an option for believers. In fact, when one experiences the deliverance from sin that Believing Trust and Repentance from dead works brings, doing the works of the flesh is abhorrent. As time goes by, the zeal of the new believer can wane and the normal day-to-day of life becomes the focus. Work, family, chores, even assembly with fellow believers, all become a part of the routine of life. Establishing a focused and regular prayer time daily is essential for refocus of the mind and keeping one’s lamp trimmed spiritually. Remember who is on the Throne, and who is NOT. Namely me.
In the last few years, with the rise of social media and an online presence, the tendency has been to participate in the flood of stuff that flows through a news feed. Facebook in particular has taken a society of people who used to socialize in person, face to face, and turned it to a cyber reality of selfies and all things “ME”. Validation of who we are and what we think has become the engine of the narcissistic personalities we all intensify while using such media. Yes, I participated in these things and my time-wasting, disconnectedness from reality soared. Neglect of more important things in life seemed to grow in proportion to the screen time. It seems to be the nature of the beast. Vanity at its finest.
The psalmist’s prayer says, “Who may go up to the Mountain of YHVH? Who can stand in His Holy Place? Those with clean hands and a pure heart, who do not make vanities the purpose of their lives, or swear oaths just to deceive.” Ps 24
Show me one thing about social media that is not rooted in Vanity. Some people I used to “friend” on FB, were offended by my oh so important opinions and posts. I was “unfriended” by some, and “unfollowed” by others. What is that? A true friend would not UNfriend you. I don’t think that ‘unfriend’ is even a word, or at least it shouldn’t be. We have accepted this new language of interaction, of how people interrelate, from our not so smart phones and computers. From strangers with, dare I say, an ‘agenda’, who are in the business of social engineering.
There is a bit of media, a movie I saw a few months ago called THE CIRCLE which illustrates the motives behind the creation of social media. Namely the almighty dollar. Now I have nothing against earning a living, but to cause or contribute to the whole of society being socially engineered to pad someone’s pockets, and worse, affect and influence government and the laws of the land, now the true purposes become clearer. I will leave that right there.
And at the risk of seeming like an extreme conservative, there is one more avenue of the world I am becoming aware of which is not making a positive impact in my life. Television. Programming. Programming to think like the Prince of the Power of the Air desires? We as a society have been programmed for years, not without our willing participation either.
Cliches run through my head just now: “Garbage in, garbage out”. “If you hang out at the barbershop long enough, you’ll eventually get a hair cut”. “Monkey see, Monkey do”. The sayings we have heard, though easily discounted as trite, ring with some truth nonetheless. I dare you to prove we are not influenced by what we see and hear! If it were not true, advertising and marketing would not be so successful. We are a bunch of impressionable children looking for the next toy to entertain us.
Where is the focus on G_d? Where is the Kingship of Messiah Yeshua in our lives? What vanities have captured our hearts? our minds? our attentions?
The road is indeed narrow and few find it. It seems to get narrower and narrower each time I see the truth of the World’s influences. And as I cut off one distraction after another, I find that my shalom personally increases. I feel that my desire for truth is heightened and I am able to hear the still, small voice of my Master YHVH Yeshua. I pray that His Ru’akh (Spirit) will reign in my life, that I will, by the Power of the Risen Yesuah, walk in HIS WAY, HIS WORD. Surrendered to HIS Kingship and resisting the flesh.
Rev 18:4 “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, ‘Come OUT of her, O My people, so that you may not become partakers of her sins, and lest you be smitten by her plagues.”